The present invention relates to windshield cleaners, and, more particularly, a hand-supported cleaner for the interior surface of windshields.
Synthetic resins are now extensively used in the interior of the modem automobile and some plastics may out-gas volatile materials such as plasticizers and solvents. As a result, the inside of the windshield become coated with a film that can seriously impair visibility. Cigarette smoke can also result in a deposit on the inside of the windshield to affect visibility.
Traditional methods of cleaning the inside of the windshield have used paper towels and rags held in the palm of the hand and pressed against the surface to be cleaned. Because of the awkward upward slant of the of the windshield relative to the extended human palm, it is frequently quite difficult to clean the surface in a comprehensive manner. Areas are missed, and resultant streaks are commonly observed. Moreover, it is difficult to manipulate the paper towel or rag in the narrow space at the juncture of the windshield and dashboard.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel hand-supported cleaner for cleaning an automobile windshield which is simple to fabricate and easy to manipulate even in difficult areas.
It is also an object to provide such a hand-supported cleaner which is economical and supported by the user""s hand in a fashion which enables its movement easily into various areas of the windshield to effect the cleaning action.
Another object is to provide such a hand-supported cleaner which includes a cleaning fluid for the cleaning pad supported thereof.
It has now been found that the foregoing and related objects may be readily attained in a hand-supported wiper for cleaning automobile windshields comprising a carrier member, a finger grip on one surface of the support member and a cleaning pad on the other surface of the support member.
Preferably, the other surface of the carrier member provides a shallow recess in which the body portion of the cleaning pad is disposed with marginal portions of the pad extending at least to, and desirably over, the peripheral edge of the carrier member. The portion of the recess adjacent the periphery slopes gradually outwardly and upwardly to the edge.
Desirably, the pad has slits extending inwardly adjacent the comers thereof to facilitate forming of the pad about the peripheral edge of the carrier member. The pad is fabricated of a absorbent fibrous material and has an adhesive on one surface releasably adhering the pad to the carrier member.
Generally, the finger grip extends in a plane which is generally perpendicular to the plane of the carrier member, and has a passage through which the user""s fingers extend. This passageway extends generally parallel to the carrier member and at least one of the opposing walls defining one side of the passageway has opposed arcuate recesses in which the user""s fingers seat. Desirably, the grip has arcuate recesses on at least one of its side surfaces in which the user""s fingers also seat.
In one embodiment, the carrier member is porous and the wiper includes a reservoir on the one surface of the carrier member for cleaning fluid which is in contact with the support member to transfer fluid therethrough to the cleaning pad. Conveniently, the finger grip has a cavity therein providing the reservoir.
In another embodiment, the carrier member has mounting means on the one surface spaced from the grip and a container for cleaning fluid is disengageably seated in the mounting means.
The carrier member is generally rectangular, and, to facilitate cleaning of the juncture between the windshield and dashboard, the grip is spaced inwardly from the periphery of the carrier member a distance dimensioned to enable at least one of the peripheral portions of the carrier member and cleaning pad to extend thereinto.
In a desirable embodiment, the carrier member is foldable in the direction of the other surface to facilitate storage. This is conveniently provided by fabricating the carrier member from synthetic resin to include an integral hinge about which it will fold.